This invention relates to a water-developable photosensitive resin composition, more particularly to a water-developable photosensitive resin composition which is small in swelling with water, small in deterioration of physical properties and small in dimensional change.
Photosensitive resin compositions have heretofore been widely used in photoresists, inks, printing plates and the like. However, in the case of most of photoresists and printing plates, organic solvents are used during development. Recently, however, in addition to problems of safety and health during working, the influence of the organic solvents on environment has become a problem. Therefore, a photosensitive resin composition to which a development with water, which is safer than the organic solvents, is applicable has been desired. In order to meet such requirements, a water-developable photosensitive resin composition comprising a water-soluble polymer, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, casein or the like as the base material has been proposed.
However, in the case of conventional water-developable photosensitive resin compositions, the affinity of the composition for water is too high, and hence, when the composition is subjected to water-development, it is swollen with water to cause deterioration of physical properties and dimensional change. As a result, there have been such problems that it brings upon deterioration of dimensional accuracy of resist, deterioration of resistance of printing plate to printing and deterioration of print quality and the like.